Ask The Pros
Pregnancy Photos
Pregnancy Calendar
Birth Plans
Birth Stories
Bookstore
Boy or Girl
Cesareans
Chat Room
Complications
Doulas
Educators
Episiotomy
FAQs
Feeding Baby
Fertility
Finding a Class
Health
Interactive
Labor
Message Board
Monitoring
Newborns
Newsletter
Postcards
Postpartum
Pregnancy
Reviews/Awards
Search
VBAC
Week by Week
Who We Are

Tarrah Rebecca's Birth

It was Dec. 20th 1993, three weeks before my due date and my husband 
John and I had decided to go buy us a new VCR for Christmas. When we got 
back from shopping, I had this weird feeling that the house needed to be 
cleaned and it needed to be clean now. I remember John telling me to 
just sit and relax, but I just couldn't do it. I also felt the need to 
pack the diaper bag even though I wasn't having any contractions or 
signs of labor. Around 1:00 a.m. I got up to go potty and was hoping 
something would happen, but nothing did until I got back in bed and 
rolled over and then is when my water broke and boy was it everywhere. I 
remember saying "oh my god" and John sitting up in bed asking what was 
wrong. When I told him my water broke he immediatly went into the 
bathroom and began combing his hair thinking we were going to the 
hospital right then. You would of thougth this was our first child, but 
we also have a 2 1/2 year old daughter(she just so happend to be staying 
the night at her Aunt Pattys house). Anyhow, I told him to go back to 
bed and that I was going to hop in the shower in hopes this would help 
things along and that I would let him know when things began to happen. 
After I got out of the shower I proceeded to pace the living room floor 
in hopes of getting contractions, but nothing happend, so I finally laid 
down on the couch and watched Beavis and Butthead(that was all that was 
on at 2:00 a.m.). Finally around 6:00 a.m. I figured we should call the 
hospital since my water had broken and they told me to come on it, so we 
did. We arrive at the hospital around 8:00 a.m. and they check me in and 
ask me all these questions that they ask pregnant women,and then I get 
into my lovely hospital gown, they hook me up to the fetal montier, and 
tell me to get some rest and that the doctor will be in to see me soon. 
In the meantime, my best friend Terressa shows up and keeps me and my 
nervous husband company. Dr. O'Gara finally shows up and checks me and I 
am only three cm. dilated and still no contractions. Finally around 
1:00 p.m. I begin to get some regular contractions, but nothing real 
severe yet. During each of my contractions I closed my eyes and did my 
breathing as John and Terressa talked quietly in the back ground and 
watched "Days of Our Lives". Around 3:30 p.m. I had to go to the 
bathroom soooooo bad, but I was afraid to get up and go because my 
contractions were quite painful by now. John finally talked me into 
getting up and going, so he helped me inch my way to the bathroom and as 
I sat on the pot, I got this sudden urge to push, but John and Terressa 
were yelling at me not to push and that I needed to get off the pot and 
back in bed. Once again, John helped me back into bed and then and went 
to get the nurse. She then came in and proceeded to check me and to our 
surprise I was 10 cm. dilated and fully efaced, she then left to call 
the Dr. whose office is just a block away. In the meantime, I am trying 
to breath through these horrific contractions, and with the help of John 
and Terressa I make it, and in walks Dr. O' Gara-thank goodness!!! I 
push about three times and out pops our second daughter with a head full 
of dark hair. Tarrah Rebecca(named after my Grandmother)was born at 3:48 
p.m. and weighed in at 5 lbs. 12 oz. and was 19 inches long. She is now 
a happy and healthy three year old who enjoys playing with her older 
sister Katleynne. Children are surely are a blessing and I couldn't 
imagine my life with out either one of them, they bring so much joy to 
our lives. 
  
   Tina Johnson